Omarion Hampton Set to Return in Week 13?
Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton has missed six consecutive games since being placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury suffered during a Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said he does not expect Hampton's practice window to be opened until after their Week 12 bye, so there should be a new update coming soon on the rookie's status. The 22nd overall pick in this past year's draft was working off to the side in practice before the bye and is now out of the walking boot, which should give him a decent shot of suiting up in Week 13 against the Raiders. Hampton was having a strong rookie season before the injury, recording 66 carries for 314 yards and two touchdowns to go with 20 receptions (22 targets) for 136 yards in five games, good for an average of 15.4 PPR points per game. Second-year back Kimani Vidal will return to a backup role, and Hampton should slot back in as a high-end RB2 in fantasy upon his return.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rico Dowdle Leads Panthers in Rushing and Receiving in Loss to 49ers
Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle recorded six carries for 38 yards to go along with four receptions (four targets) for 36 yards in Monday night's loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Dowdle was one of the few players who the Panthers could rely on to move the ball. The Panthers ran just 43 plays in the game, which limited their opportunities to get Dowdle a big workload. His 10 touches were his fewest in a game since their blowout loss to the Bills in Week 8, where he had only eight touches. The former Dallas Cowboy was still quite productive with his opportunities, leading the team in rushing and receiving yards. Backup Chuba Hubbard was also more involved than expected in this game, handling three carries for 15 yards and four catches for 27 yards. Dowdle has been more active as a receiver to offset some rushing inefficiencies lately, adding 12 receptions in the last three games, fifth most among running backs in that span. Dowdle has another tough matchup against an NFC West opponent in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Tetairoa McMillan Salvages Day With Touchdown in Monday Night Loss
Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan recorded a season low two receptions (seven targets) for 35 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 20-9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. McMillan and quarterback Bryce Young struggled to connect in this game, with the two often on the wrong page or Young delivering an inaccurate ball. The rookie wideout isn't without blame, however, as he had a bad drop on a third down in the first half. The Panthers ran just 43 plays in the game as a result of their offensive struggles. McMillan was at least able to connect with Young on a beautiful 29-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to at least salvage a decent fantasy day for managers. It was still a disappointing result for the Panthers' passing attack after a great performance last week against the Atlanta Falcons, when McMillan went for 130 yards and two touchdowns. McMillan still projects favorably as the Panthers' clear No. 1 target for their Week 13 matchup against the NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
George Kittle Leads 49ers in Receiving in Win Over Panthers
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle totaled six receptions for 78 yards on 10 targets in a Monday night win over the Carolina Panthers. Kittle led the 49ers in both targets and receiving yards in the win. Outside of zero catch performance in his first game returning from his early-season hamstring injury in Week 7 against the Falcons, the superstar tight end has been as advertised as an early-round pick for fantasy managers. In the other five games, including Monday night, he's racked up 29 catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns on 34 targets, good for an average of 16.6 PPR points per game. The 32-year-old will again profile as a top-three tight end option in Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Jauan Jennings Catches Touchdown in Monday Night Win
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings caught five of seven targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's win over the Carolina Panthers. His first-quarter touchdown came on an impressive catch and run where he fought through two defenders on his way into the end zone. Jennings continues his strong stretch of production over the last four games, recording 19 receptions for 217 yards and three touchdowns on 27 targets. The recent return of second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall hasn't affected Jennings' production, with Pearsall totaling just three catches for six yards in the past two games. The 28-year-old Jennings has been a reliable target earner for San Francisco alongside multiple other capable weapons and a heavy dose of touches devoted to Christian McCaffrey. Jennings will rank on the WR2/WR3 border again in Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Christian McCaffrey Erupts For 142 Yards, Touchdown in Monday Night Win
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey handled another massive workload in Monday night's 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers, recording 24 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown to go with seven catches (seven targets) for 53 yards in the pass game. McCaffrey now has 298 touches on the season after another 31 in Week 12 against his former team, with Jonathan Taylor being the next closest player at 237. The superstar running back also leads the league in receptions with 81. McCaffrey continues to be one of the top options in all of fantasy football as the engine of San Francisco's offense and a security blanket for quarterback Brock Purdy, who struggled throwing downfield in this game with three interceptions in the first half. McCaffrey will rank as an elite RB1 in Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Isiah Pacheco Targeting a Return on Thursday
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) is targeting a return to the lineup this Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in Week 13, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Pacheco has been out with a sprained MCL in his knee since Week 8 (he's missed the last three games), but he was listed as a full participant on Monday's estimated injury report and looks to be trending in the right direction to suit up in Dallas. Veteran Kareem Hunt, who had a season-high 30 carries for 104 rushing yards and a touchdown in Sunday's overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts, should continue to be KC's preferred option out of the backfield against the Cowboys, making the 26-year-old Pacheco not much more than a shaky, low-upside, touchdown-dependent RB3/flex for fantasy managers. When healthy, Pacheco's volume has taken a hit in 2025, and he has only 329 rushing yards and one TD in his eight games played.
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
Colston Loveland Becoming a Bigger Part of the Offense Down the Stretch
Chicago Bears rookie first-round tight end Colston Loveland had his breakout game in the Week 9 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, catching six of his seven targets for a season-high 118 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. The 10th overall pick out of Michigan hasn't come close to matching that type of production in three games since, but he did manage to find the end zone for the third time this year in Sunday's three-point win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching four of five targets for 49 yards. The 21-year-old was second on the team in catches and third in receiving yardage on the day as he continues to see his role increase in the second half of the year. In the last three weeks going into Week 12, Loveland was a top-five fantasy TE in half-PPR scoring. Loveland and the Bears have a bad matchup in Week 13 on Black Friday against Philly, but Loveland should be a waiver-wire target for those searching for an upgrade at the position. He's rostered in only 43% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Juwan Johnson Continues to Produce While Flying Under the Radar
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson isn't the sexiest name by any means at his position, primarily because he resides in a Saints offense that is tied for last in the league with 15 points scored per game. However, Johnson has been the No. 2 option in the passing game in New Orleans in 2025 behind receiver Chris Olave, and he enters Week 13 action tied with Hunter Henry at 8.7 half-PPR fantasy points per contest. The 29-year-old had touchdown catches in back-to-back games going into the Week 12 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, including a season-high 92 receiving yards before the team's Week 11 bye. On Sunday, Johnson had six catches (second-most in a game this year) on seven targets for 46 yards against Atlanta. His 67 targets through 11 games in 2025 tie him for seventh at the TE position. Johnson will be in position as an intriguing low-end TE1 in fantasy in a plus matchup this weekend versus Miami. He is on pace for a career-best season.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Brenton Strange Has Starting Tight End Upside Going Forward
In his first game since suffering a hip injury in Week 5 that landed him on Injured Reserve, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange recorded five catches for 93 yards on five targets in his team's Week 12 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Strange's encouraging return was a continuation of what he had shown before getting hurt. Across the four full games he played before the hip injury, Strange had recorded 19 receptions for 182 yards on 23 targets. Jacksonville could get wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) back from injury in Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans, which may impact the target share for Strange. However, Strange himself played just 71% of the Jaguars' offensive snaps in Week 12, which is a number that could rise as he gets fully healthy and re-integrated into the offense. Strange should be a waiver-wire target in fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams heading into Week 13.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Christian Kirk Trending Upwards in Houston
Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk had his best game of the 2025 season in Week 12, recording five catches for 54 yards and a touchdown on six targets against the Buffalo Bills. It's been an injury-marred season for Kirk overall, as he's recorded 21 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown across seven games played. However, Kirk has earned 21 targets over the last four weeks and could be re-establishing himself as a steady presence in the slot for the Texans. The 29-year-old has typically been a fairly productive wide receiver when healthy, averaging 6.6 targets and 53.7 receiving yards per game across 100 career NFL contests. In PPR fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams, Kirk could be worth targeting on the waiver wire heading into a Week 13 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tez Johnson Continues to Earn Playing Time in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson was one of the lone bright spots for his team in their 34-7 Week 12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, hauling in three catches for 21 yards and a touchdown on four targets. The 23-year-old has now recorded five touchdown catches over his last six games played. Perhaps most encouragingly, Johnson played 86% of Tampa Bay's offensive snaps against Los Angeles even though Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin returned to the field for the first time since Week 5. However, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to exit Week 12 early and puts his status in question for Tampa Bay's Week 13 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Any missed time for Mayfield would be a blow to the fantasy outlook for Johnson and the rest of the Buccaneers' pass-catchers. Still, Johnson has emerged as a player worth targeting on the waiver wire in PPR leagues with 12 or more teams.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Parker Washington Emerging as a Consistent Target Earner in Jacksonville
With Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers Travis Hunter (knee) and Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) sidelined in recent weeks, Parker Washington has stepped up as one of the go-to targets for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Over his last four games, Washington has hauled in 18 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 25 targets. Thomas Jr. could return as soon as Week 13, but Hunter is on Injured Reserve and is not expected to return this season. Even when Thomas Jr. returns to the lineup, Washington could remain a relatively high-volume option in the Jacksonville passing game. Across 11 games this season overall, the 23-year-old has hauled in 35 receptions for 421 yards and three touchdowns on 60 targets. In fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams where Washington remains available, he could be worth targeting on the waiver wire heading into a Week 13 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Luther Burden III Earning More Consistent Playing Time in Chicago
Across the first 10 games of his NFL career, Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III has recorded just 22 receptions for 295 yards and one touchdown on 28 targets. However, Burden III has been playing some of his best football in recent weeks. Over his last three outings, the 21-year-old has hauled in nine catches for 124 yards on 13 targets. Perhaps most importantly, Burden III could be overtaking Bears veteran Olamide Zaccheaus for the WR3 role in Chicago alongside Rome Odunze and DJ Moore. Over the last two weeks, Burden III has earned 66 offensive snaps compared to just 33 for Zaccheaus. The presence of Odunze and Moore caps Burden III's upside. Still, the rookie has flashed big-play ability and appears to be carving out a more stable playing time floor. Burden III should be a waiver-wire target in fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams heading into a Week 13 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Michael Carter Maximizes His Opportunities in Week 12 Loss
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter had five carries for 28 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12. Carter also had three catches for 30 yards on three targets. The 26-year-old had his most efficient rushing game of the year in Sunday's matchup, gaining 5.6 yards per carry. Carter will need to continue to maximize each carry he gets in this pass-heavy offense to stay relevant in fantasy in his limited rushing role. Carter has also not seen double-digit touches in a game since Week 6. Fantasy managers should consider Carter a desperation flex option in deeper leagues heading into Week 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He'll fall to RB3 duties if Trey Benson (knee) returns from Injured Reserve.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
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